AT&T worker shot in Berwyn robbery

FOX 32 / SUN-TIMES - An AT&T worker was wounded in a shooting Monday morning in west suburban Berwyn.

Just after 11 a.m., the AT&T employee was shot during an attempted armed robbery in the 6300 block of West Park Avenue, Berwyn police said.

The employee was working on some electrical panels when he was approached by a male who demanded his wallet, police said. The employee tossed his wallet to the robber and attempted to run away when he was shot in the back. He was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

The worker’s supervisor said the victim was in his 40's and married with children. His family was with him at the hospital, but the victim was not conscious when the supervisor visited earlier Monday evening.

Neighbor Antonio Alvarez saw the worker pull up, and then left out his side door with his wife.

“Had it been five more minutes we probably would've been there because, five more minutes that could've been us, because we were at the same time he pulled up, we were just leaving,” Alvarez said.

He came home to find police tape blocking the street and says the whole situation left he and his wife shaken.

“This is what we live now in this world, you can't even go out and throw your garbage out now because you have to look around and make sure everything is secure,” Alvarez said. “And look at this, happened in the daylight, that's the scary thing too.”

Another neighbor says he's hoping it was just a random crime that doesn't happen again.

“Well it's kind of shocking actually. We've been here about 20 years and have found it to be a very, very safe neighborhood. We have not really had any issues like this at all, it's a little concerning. For the most part, I feel my family's safe and that but it's always disconcerting when you have somebody that, and it is a person like that, get shot,” said Carlo Giannotta.

The offender also fired at a second person who was sitting inside a work vehicle, police said. The vehicle was struck, but the person was not injured. Police said that person was not an AT&T employee.

The offender was described as black, in his teens or early 20s, wearing a grey hoodie and blue jeans, police said. He was armed with a black handgun. He ran south through an alley between the 3100 blocks of Cuyler and Highland, and then ran east on 32nd Street.

Due to the shooting, which occurred about four blocks away, Freedom Middle School at 3016 Ridgeland Ave. was placed in lockdown, police said.